supertramp

[theresabettyann]

what a waste...to die alone and frightened... realising you wanted to get out

[naturelover24]

they say he died ALIVE! he had the courage to live out his destiny! made a few mistakes but overall he did it!!

[adventure!]

I think it's a little from column A and a little from column B.

on one hand, yes, it's kind of undeniable that he was scared and alone. The SOS sign, the scribblings of shared happiness, etc, all point to a man who was lonely and afraid towards the end of his life. However, I believe that after he truly came to accept that he was not going to make it out of the bush alive, a certain contentment with his life came over him, and he was happy at the end, hence his farewell note and the last picture showing him, albeit emaciated and skeletal, with a wide grin on his face.

so, even if it wasn't the end that he wanted, it was the end that he accepted.

[bobenns]

The curious fact is that if Chris had survived, we likely would never have heard the story. What made it newsworthy was the fact that he died so young and in such an unusual way. Chris should have lived 3 times his age. Most people at 24 are just entering into adulthood. At 24 I had done many things but the road ahead contained so much more. He certainly didn't have a full life and never got to apply what he learned through these experiences. When people die that young its always a tragedy.

[daveh]

he did wot he wanted to do

[naturelover24]

yes sir DAVEH! he did and he lived more fully than 95% of humans today will ever live in 90 years of living! astounding!!

[camerer17]

Even through the excruciating pain in his last days, pictures of Chris smiling were found undeveloped in his camera, which was the one modern device he brought in order to capture different parts of his journey. In the picture, Chris is holding a note and his final words were “I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless all.” Despite his misfortunes in being unable to cross the river, being trapped in the wild, and accidentally eating a poisonous plant which led to his starvation, McCandless was still pleased with the time he spent in Alaska and the life he had lived. While McCandless was underprepared and unable to return to a society that he formerly despised, he was discovered that happiness is only real when it is shared with other people. I would not say it was a waste beause many other people blindly live materialistic lives and never discover what truly makes them happy and even though Chris died, he discovered true joy. Wouldnt you rather discover true happiness for a short time then to never discover it at all?